What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 回去 (huí qù), meaning 'to go back' and 工作 (gōng zuò), meaning 'work' or 'to work'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are variations based on register. For a more formal tone, you might use 回到工作岗位 (huí dào gōng zuò gǎng wèi) to mean 'return to your work post' or 继续工作 (jì xù gōng zuò) to mean 'continue working'. In informal settings, you can use 继续干活 (jì xù gàn huó) to mean 'keep working'. In very blunt or informal settings, such as a foreman speaking to laborers, one might use 干活 (gàn huó) instead of 工作 (gōng zuò).
How does it change in a sentence?
You can soften the command to make it sound less like a harsh order and more like a suggestion or a nudge to a group by adding the particle 吧 (ba) to the end, forming 回去工作吧 (Let's get back to work).
How do you pronounce it?
huí qù gōng zuò
Did you know?
- The character 工 in 工作 is an ancient pictograph of a carpenter's square, showing that the concept of 'work' was originally tied to craftsmanship and building.
- In many Chinese workplace cultures, a superior might not use a direct command like 'get back to work' to an equal, but might instead use a softer, more indirect nudge to avoid causing 'loss of face'.
- In high-pressure Chinese corporate environments, the concept of 'returning to work' is often overshadowed by 加班 (jiā bān), which means 'adding a shift' or working overtime.
Examples in context
- 回去工作！Get back to work!Tatoeba #13153751 by LeviHighway, translation #2006521 by Spamster
- 回去工作。Get back to work.Tatoeba #13153752 by LeviHighway, translation #1418642 by Spamster
- 休息时间结束了，快回去工作吧。Xiūxi shíjiān jiéshù le, kuài huíqù gōngzuò ba.Break time is over, get back to work quickly.
Example conversation
A manager tells an employee to stop chatting during office hours.
- 浩然 Haoran梓涵，别聊天了，快回去工作。Zǐhán, bié liáotiān le, kuài huíqù gōngzuò.Zihan, stop chatting and get back to work.
- 梓涵 Zihan好的，浩然经理，我马上开始。Hǎo de, Hàorán jīnglǐ, wǒ mǎshàng kāishǐ.Okay, Manager Haoran, I will start right away.
- 浩然 Haoran要把今天的工作做完。Yào bǎ jīntiān de gōngzuò zuò wán.You need to finish today's work.
- 梓涵 Zihan我知道了，我这就做。Wǒ zhīdào le, wǒ zhè jiù zuò.I understand, I'll do it now.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
